Gray that Polypodium incanum abounds on the trees in the districts where this species of Bignonia grows. See 'Climbing Plants,' page 103.) I ask because its tendrils abhor a ****** stick, do not much relish rough bark, but delight in wool or moss. They adhere in a curious manner by ****** little disks, like the Ampelopsis...By the way, I will enclose some specimens, and if you think it worth while, you can put them under the ****** microscope. It is remarkable how specially adapted some tendrils are; those of Eccremocarpus scaber do not like a stick, will have nothing to say to wool; but give them a bundle of culms of grass, or a bundle of bristles and they seize them well.
CHARLES DARWIN TO J.D. HOOKER.
Down, June 10 [1864].
...I have now read two German books, and all I believe that has been written on climbers, and it has stirred me up to find that I have a good deal of new matter. It is strange, but I really think no one has explained ****** twining plants. These books have stirred me up, and made me wish for plants specified in them. I shall be very glad of those you mention.
I have written to Veitch for young Nepenthes and Vanilla (which I believe will turn out a grand case, though a root creeper), if I cannot buy young Vanilla I will ask you. I have ordered a leaf-climbing fern, Lygodium.
All this work about climbers would hurt my conscience, did I think I could do harder work. (He was much out of health at this time.)[He continued his observations on climbing plants during the prolonged illness from which he suffered in the autumn of 1863, and in the following spring. He wrote to Sir J.D. Hooker, apparently in March 1864:--"For several days I have been decidedly better, and what I lay much stress on (whatever doctors say), my brain feels far stronger, and I have lost many dreadful sensations. The hot-house is such an amusement to me, and my amusement I owe to you, as my delight is to look at the many odd leaves and plants from Kew...The only approach to work which I can do is to look at tendrils and climbers, this does not distress my weakened brain. Ask Oliver to look over the enclosed queries (and do you look) and amuse a broken-down brother naturalist by answering any which he can. If you ever lounge through your houses, remember me and climbing plants."On October 29, 1864, he wrote to Dr. Gray:--"I have not been able to resist doing a little more at your godchild, my climbing paper, or rather in size little book, which by Jove I will have copied out, else I shall never stop. This has been new sort of work for me, and I have been pleased to find what a capital guide for observations a full conviction of the change of species is."On January 19, 1865, he wrote to Sir J.D. Hooker:--"It is working hours, but I am trying to take a day's holiday, for Ifinished and despatched yesterday my climbing paper. For the last ten days I have done nothing but correct refractory sentences, and I loathe the whole subject."A letter to Dr. Gray, April 9, 1865, has a word or two on the subject:--"I have begun correcting proofs of my paper on 'Climbing Plants.' Isuppose I shall be able to send you a copy in four or five weeks. I think it contains a good deal new and some curious points, but it is so fearfully long, that no one will ever read it. If, however, you do not SKIM through it, you will be an unnatural parent, for it is your child."Dr. Gray not only read it but approved of it, to my father's great satisfaction, as the following extracts show:--"I was much pleased to get your letter of July 24th. Now that I can do nothing, I maunder over old subjects, and your approbation of my climbing paper gives me VERY great satisfaction. I made my observations when Icould do nothing else and much enjoyed it, but always doubted whether they were worth publishing. I demur to its not being necessary to explain in detail about the spires in CAUGHT tendrils running in opposite directions;for the fact for a long time confounded me, and I have found it difficult enough to explain the cause to two or three persons." (August 15, 1865.)"I received yesterday your article (In the September number of 'Silliman's Journal,' concluded in the January number, 1866.) on climbers, and it has pleased me in an extraordinary and even silly manner. You pay me a superb compliment, and as I have just said to my wife, I think my friends must perceive that I like praise, they give me such hearty doses. I always admire your skill in reviews or abstracts, and you have done this article excellently and given the whole essence of my paper...I have had a letter from a good Zoologist in S. Brazil, F. Muller, who has been stirred up to observe climbers and gives me some curious cases of BRANCH-climbers, in which branches are converted into tendrils, and then continue to grow and throw out leaves and new branches, and then lose their tendril character."(October 1865.)
The paper on Climbing Plants was republished in 1875, as a separate book.
The author had been unable to give his customary amount of care to the style of the original essay, owing to the fact that it was written during a period of continued ill-health, and it was now found to require a great deal of alteration. He wrote to Sir J.D. Hooker (March 3, 1875): "It is lucky for authors in general that they do not require such dreadful work in merely licking what they write into shape." And to Mr. Murray in September he wrote: "The corrections are heavy in 'Climbing Plants,' and yet Ideliberately went over the MS. and old sheets three times." The book was published in September 1875, an edition of 1500 copies was struck off; the edition sold fairly well, and 500 additional copies were printed in June of the following year.]
INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS.